


U.N. Record - 047 - Taffy 3

by sharpsharp44



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Character Death, Dark, Gen, One Shot, Shooting Guns, Short One Shot, Stress, Tank Combat, Tank Crew, Type 47 Tank, impending doom, incoming danger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29591400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharpsharp44/pseuds/sharpsharp44
Summary: Years after the events in 2015, the U.N. has successfully recreated the experiences of one of the many tank crews sent to fight the Angel Sachiel. This is the story of said tank crew, call sign Taffy 3.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	U.N. Record - 047 - Taffy 3

In 2015, the fortress city of Tokyo-3 fell under attack by the Angels. During these attacks countless service men and fighting vehicles were lost. We at the UN have utilized combat footage, blackbox recordings, and first hand accounts to recreate the experience of one of our lead tank crews, Taffy 3. Taffy 3 fought valiantly against our hostile invaders, doing their best to fend off the evils of the Angels before Unit 01 could arrive on scene. Taffy 3’s crew consisted of: Commander Eito Mori, Gunner Daisuke Imai, Loader Asahi Sakai, and Driver Isuki Sano. These men are heroes and paid the eternal sacrifice. Thank you.

  
  
  
“Shit man, we’ve been out here for hours. Bull. There is nothing out here.” The young man in the loader’s seat called through his open hatch. The city center had been empty for hours now, just up seventh avenue was Taffy 4, they could barely be seen as heat waves bounced off the light grey pavement.

“Can it Asahi. We’re here for a reason. We’ve gotta be ready any second.” The commander called down into the tank. He had given up on his formalities a long time ago, sitting on top of the turret smoking cigarette after cigarette, looking around the empty buildings with a pair of vintage binoculars and observing small flowers he had picked when they had first parked. Every hatch on the vehicle was resting open, the drive down town had been exhausting, the tank needed to air out. Asahi climbed out of his hatch and stood on the deck, the loader was short, coming eye to eye with his commander, Eito, who still sat on the turret.

“Look. How do we even know when these things are coming? How do we even know they’re real?”

“Asahi-”

“Look man, all I’m sayin’ is we’re guarding an empty town from an enemy that isn’t even there. Hell, we’ve been sitting in this town since three in the morning. Check on the comms, see if the boys on the coast have anything.” Eito narrowed his eyes at his naive loader. To prove him right wasn’t worth the effort.

“We’re here because people way smarter than all of us said we need to be here. That’s the end of it.” The crew went quiet once more as the silence climbed up the empty walls of the sky scrapers, the city was so quiet one would think the Angels had already wiped out the human race. 

“Hey Eito, who’s that?” Asahi looked over his commander’s shoulder at a kid walking across the intersection the tank had been told to protect.

“Dunno.” Eito stood up on the turret, his hand placed firmly on the grip of his service pistol. “Hey kid! You lost?!” The boy jumped at the sound, turning to face the tank he ran his hand through his brown hair. Kid looked no older than fifteen, wandering around a completely empty city alone?

“I’m-I’m looking for a phone! I’m supposed to be getting picked up soon.”

“We saw one driving in, just further down that road. You need to get out of here, cities under evacuation order.” 

“Yes sir!” The boy called as he walked on, tucking in the tail of his shirt as he went.

Asahi ducked back into the tank. Inside was dark, the thick white paint coated on the claustrophobic walls made little attempt to bounce light. He inspected his station, looking at all the rounds that had been loaded into the vehicle. The tank had taken thirty five rounds into storage, just twenty five under maximum capacity. 

_T_ _hese tanks are damn firecrackers just waiting to be lit_. The thought crossed his mind as he ran his fingers over the grooved ends of the shells.

The loader station was a three hundred and sixty degree workspace, with ammunition being stowed all around the vehicle, the open floor space was needed. The turret was split down the middle by the breech of the gun, with the loader taking the left side and the gunner taking the right. Scattered all around the inside of the tank were tiny TV’s, their heavy off white appearance still seemed a little out of shape, with a small one in the top corner of Asahi’s side of the turret and two more on Daisuke, the gunner’s side. Asahi popped his head out the hatch before lifting himself onto the turret shared by Daisuke and Eito.

All at once the radio inside the tank kicked on, the calm voice of a forward observation aircraft coming over in crackles. The men looked at themselves in naive excitement before piling into the tank.

“Warning: Contact, bogie heading one seven five, seventy two miles out and closing. Alert level raised to code yellow, all vehicles master arm on. Master arm on. Over.” The tank went silent as the men traded glances. Finally Eito came to his senses.

“You heard the man, code yellow. Button up, we’re going cams only from here on out.” Asahi nodded rapidly before reaching above his head, grabbing the thick metal hatch and pulling it closed, twisting it to lock. “Isuki, get this thing started, everybody switch your ears.” As useless lights flickered on inside the tank Asahi grabbed a soft helmet from on top of the breech. On the wall a wire with a silver quarter inch jack hung freely, Asahi slipped the helmet on before clicking the jack into his headset, connecting him to the rest of the tank via intercom.

“Check check, one two. Everybody hear me?” A resounding yes responded as another call came in from the forward observer.

“Contact now forty miles out and closing fast. Alert level has been raised to code red. I repeat, alert level has been raised to code red. Unidentified bogie has been confirmed as Angel, I repeat, weapons hot, weapons hot. Shoot on sight. Over.” The tank roared to life as Isuki finally got the engine turned over, with it the TV’s scattered throughout flickered to life, their bright green screen eventually producing a flickering grainy picture of the outside world split with a view of Daisuke’s gunsight.

“Asahi load me a round of HEAT, be ready with another.”

“On it.” Asahi said as he pulled the high explosive anti tank round from its storage and shoved it in the breech of the gun, he then grabbed another round and set it warhead up on the floor, ready to be loaded next. It was show time in the Type 74. 

Condensation began to form on the walls of the tank as Asahi scanned his TV for any movement, his hands clasped the box by the sides, his fingers not reacting to the popping of the static. The sound of the skyscrapers sliding underground had rattled the tank only for a moment, and it soon became known that it wasn’t called the  _ Fortress City _ for its defensive capabilities, rather, its hiding capabilities.

_ It’ll be here any moment now, it’s probably already at the coast. _

Then another radio transmission filled his headset.

“Taffy Group, this is Division Eight on the coastal road, this thing just came walking by us. It’s...it’s not like anything I’ve ever seen. Like a distorted human, wha-what is this thing? We didn’t get more than a few shots off, it’s heading right for the city center. Hold fast and Godspeed. Division 8, Out.” The radio crackled back to normal as the tanks of Taffy Group talked to each other, stress boiling over the lines about the incoming danger. 

It wasn’t long before a slight vibration could be felt in the floor over the rattle of the diesel engine.

“See anything Eito?” Isuki called from up front.

“Nothing, too many buildings in the way.” The radio filled with static before leveling out again, a frantic voice coming through on the other line.

“Dough 4 to anybody listening! Our mobile artillery is no match for this thing! It just passed through checkpoint six like we weren’t even there, we’ve lost half our men, three quarters our vehicles! Please for the love of God will the UN just let NERV handle this? Get out while you still can, this isn’t our fight-”

“Dough 4, Taffy 6. Quit that talk on this channel, this isn’t only Japan’s fight it’s a fight for the world.”  _ Silence. _ “Dough 4, Taffy 6. Respond, over?” The static was dense as Taffy 6, another tank a few blocks down, tried over and over to raise any of the mobile artillery of Dough Squad. The TV’s picture now trembled with each step the Angel took, it was getting close. The radio cherped again, pulling Asahi away from the sickly green glow of the screen that illuminated the cabin of the vehicle.

“Taffy Group this is Shark 4-6, target is now five miles out of the city center’s perimeter. Over.” Asahi met eyes with Daisuke, his thin face filled with uncertain terror and dripping with sweat to prove it. His face was coated in the green light of his screens, and he dared not say a word. Asahi looked back at Eito, who sat looking around his cupola.

“See anything commander?” The radio screamed into the cabin once more.

“Taffy Group this is Taffy 8, target spotted, it’s massive! We can’t fight this thing we’re pullin’ back-” Eito squeezed the key up button on his handset.

“Taffy 8 our orders are to hold the city center. Do not pull back or your entire crew will be court martialed over!” 

“Eito have you seen this thing?” The radio crackled as Eito stared at nothing, confusion starting to tremble through his tone.

“No, we have no visual on the target, over.” The entire crew stared at the handset as a chillingly calm voice came over the radio. 

“Look up.” Confusion filled Eito’s face as he stared at the crew, stammering before finally pushing up and opening his hatch. It was but a moment before Eito slammed the hatch shut, sweat soaking his shirt as he took rapid breaths. He turned toward the back of the turret, facing away from the crew as he tried to calm himself down. It was no use.

“We are not prepared for this, we are not prepared for this at all!” Daisuke put his hand on the commander's shoulder, trying to soothe the man. 

“We have to try. Tell me where to point the gun.”

“2 O’clock. As-as high as you can take it.” Asahi pulled on his loader’s gloves as the turret began to move, he watched the street slowly sweep to the right on the TV, squinting for any sign of what had shaken up Eito so badly. “Stop.” The turret lurched as Daisuke stopped the rotation, and Asahi watched as the breech sank lower and lower with the guns increasing elevation.

“No eyes. I can’t see anything.” Daisuke stated as calmly as possible, his eye cupped hard against the gun sight. Sure enough on Asahi’s TV the reticle was clear, just a scratchy image of office building windows occupying the screen. Eito looked sick.

“We can’t elevate the gun high enough. We’re...we’re pointless.”

“Taffy 4’s taking fire!” The radio screamed, Eito looked out the cupola to see the tank backing slowly, the sound of it’s cannon firing sounding like a faint drum beat as a dodged purple beams of light that bounced off the pavement and up the street. 

“Turret traverse right, gun level!” The turret lurched into motion again as Taffy 4 came into view on the screen, they weren’t going to last much longer. The screen flashed as Taffy 4 took a direct hit, the tank squatted down before bursting into fire strong enough to blast the turret right off the hull. The tracks slid off the top of the wheels and splattered onto the pavement. It wasn’t even recognizable as a tank anymore as the turret slammed down onto the pavement with enough force to crack the street.

“Taffy 4’s down, it hit the ammunition!” Daisuke yelled over the sound of the engine. 

“Daisuke get ready to put a big hole in that fucker as soon as it comes into view. We will not pull back, not yet. We’ve...we’ve gotta try.” Eito called over the radio, a friend from home had been in that tank.

Daisuke’s finger hovered over the trigger, waiting for something to shoot at as ammunition cooked off in the remains of Taffy 4.

“Shit! Front, front!” Isuke screamed over the radio, the creature had taken a different route to get to their tank. Without thought he shifted in reverse and hit the gas, rolling the tank backward at ten miles an hour with a lurch.

“Turret traverse left!” The tank fell into chaos as the gun swung around, the round Asahi had sat on the floor fell over with a clatter from the vibration of the thing’s footsteps. Finally, the tiny screen showed on target, and what could be seen was straight out of fiction. Daisuke’s optic was peer black as the ankle of the thing consumed the whole view, and the exterior camera was hardly any better as it’s feet took up most of the picture. “Fire!”

Daisuke didn’t hesitate pulling the trigger, the screen of both views flashed as a ball of fire erupted outside the tank, the breech of the gun quickly spat out the used shell and with it smoke from the detonation. Asahi crammed another round into the breech as Daisuke fired the machine gun to no avail.

“Ready!” The smoke outside cleared as the crew looked at their target, unsurprisingly there was no difference.

“No effect!”

“Give ‘em another!” Eito cried over the radio.

“On it’s way!” Daisuke screamed as he pulled the trigger, another ball of fire on the screen, another brass casing falling to the floor and another round rapidly inserted into the gun.

“No effect!”

Isuke cried over the radio, confusion thick in his voice. 

“Why isn’t it  _ doing _ anything?!” The creature was close now, not a quarter block away as the crew hammered round after round into the Angel with no returns. 

“Call in air support!” Asahi cried over the radio as he shoved another 105 millimeter round into the cannon, his face now smudged with the black marks of gunpowder residue. Eito looked at him with terror in his eyes.

“The radio’s dead! It won’t work!” The lights flickered as Daisuke sent another round down range, Asahi had another in the gun as fast as possible, only this time when Daisuke pulled the trigger there was nothing but a click.

“Bad round, reload!” The breech cracked open and the round fell out, smashing hard against the metal floor of the tank. Asahi grabbed another round and slammed it into battery, yelling that it was clear as soon as the breech closed. 

_ Click _

“Gun’s down, something’s wrong with the gun!” Daisuke switched to the coaxial machine gun, pulling the trigger only for silence to follow. “All my guns are down!” The men, bug eyed and out of weaponry, filled completely with terror, for the Angel was upon them.

Then, the engine coughed, and coughed again, finally seizing with a final choke. The tank slammed to a stop, rolling backward on her suspension and throwing her crew to the ground with a thud. The lights flickered with the loss of power until they went out entirely, leaving the only the TV’s to produce light.

“Abandon tank! Abandon tank!” Eito screamed at the tops of lungs as he pushed up on his hatch, which pushed back just as hard. Asahi slammed his elbow against his to no avail, they had jammed.

“Dammit! The hatch, I...I can’t get it open!” Asahi grunted out, trying to wrestle the lever open.

“It doesn’t want us getting out. Don’t you see? It’s in charge of us now.” Eito talked in practically a whisper from the back of the tank. He had already stopped trying his hatch, he had given up. “I’m sorry boys. We failed. We...lost.” The tank went silent as her crew stared at her commander, there was nothing left to do. The crushing steps were now but a hundred feet away, the grainy picture on the TV now displayed nothing else than the spindly black legs of a monster only one of the crew had gotten the chance to really see. All they could hope for now was that the beast wouldn’t step on them like an ant. 

The crack of pavement outside rippled through the tank as the thing’s foot landed not ten feet from the tank. Asahi fell to the steel plated floor and then was shoved against the gun breech as the tank was flung across the street. Ammunition and empty casings flew around the cabin like marbles in a shoebox, the screens of the TV’s flickered on and off. The sound of buckling metal and snapping wire echoed through the cabin as Isuke yelped in pain. Asahi felt his jaw smash into something round, and then with a crack he couldn’t see or hear anything anymore.

_ Am I dying? _

The thought ran through the seventeen year old’s mind as he was knocked unconscious in the chaos.

  
  
  
  
  
  


_ Wet. _

Asahi felt something dripping on his cheek, cold and wet. Slowly, he pulled his eyes open to find himself laying on the turret ceiling, half buried in ammunition casings and crumpled like a ball. The darkness was thick, only one screen was left, broadcasting nothing but static into the quiet and somber tank.

_ What had happened? Where is everybody? _

Asahi pulled himself up to a sitting position, fighting the soreness of his own muscles and the splitting pain in his head. The tank had rolled over, a result of the Angel stepping so close. Asahi now recognized the dripping as oil, a slow stream from a busted line. In the darkness he felt around for Daisuke, finally grasping the gunner’s hand it was cold and stiff, Asahi tried to call out, but his voice had gone. Desperately he dug for Eito, who had also succumbed to the rolling, having smashed his head against the ceiling, breaking his neck. There was no movement up front from Isuke. Asahi was the sole survivor of the impact.

Quietly, he moved to the emergency floor hatch in the bottom of the tank. Remarkably, the lever turned with no resistance, and the hatch fell open. Sunlight poured into the overturned vehicle, blinding Asahi as he clawed himself out of the tank, falling onto the ruptured pavement below. 

In the distance he could see it, the thing that killed his crewmates, the Angel moving toward a mountain, it had passed through the city entirely. Asahi watched as it fought aircraft, before the blast. A mushroom cloud reached up into the sky as a blinding flash of light made everything in the area disappear.

_ An N2? They used an N2 on it? That’ll kill everything. That’ll..kill me. _

Not many men see their death coming. But as the blastwave closed in on the city center of Tokyo-3, Asahi made no attempt to take cover or look away. There was no point, he was a dead man standing. The only member of Taffy 3 to have an understanding of what killed him. Friendly fire. Not long after the detonation of the N2 landmine, NERV’s Unit 01 would arrive on scene, ending the fight with the Angel known as Sachiel in a matter of minutes.


End file.
